In fantasy hockey, is it truly viable for a player to be valuable based almost entirely on peripheral defensive categories like hits and blocked shots? Can managers afford to overlook minimal offensive production if the physical stats pile up at an elite rate?
Based on the early returns this season, the answer is a resounding yes.
Consider Brayden McNabb. The Vegas Golden Knights defender currently ranks 16th among all blueliners in total fantasy points this season with 13.0. Excluding a single shot on goal, virtually all of his fantasy value (12.9 points) has been generated by his nine hits and 24 blocked shots. McNabb is the perfect representation of earning consistent value purely through defensive effort, but he is far from the only example.
Top 31 players in FPHBS
Ranked by fantasy points derived exclusively from hits and blocked shots (FPHBS).
| Player, Position | Team | Percent of leagues available | FPHBS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brayden McNabb, D | Vegas Golden Knights | 57% | 12.9 |
| Andrew Peeke, D | Boston Bruins | 86% | 12.0 |
| Nikita Zadorov, D | Boston Bruins | 56% | 11.4 |
| Darnell Nurse, D | Edmonton Oilers | 13% | 11.2 |
| Adam Larsson, D | Seattle Kraken | 38% | 10.1 |
| Conor Timmins, D | Buffalo Sabres | 99% | 9.8 |
| Jared Spurgeon, D | Minnesota Wild | 48% | 9.7 |
| Erik Cernak, D | Tampa Bay Lightning | 96% | 9.6 |
| Tyler Myers, D | Vancouver Canucks | 80% | 9.3 |
| Mike Matheson, D | Montreal Canadiens | 4% | 8.6 |
| Shea Theodore, D | Vegas Golden Knights | 28% | 8.5 |
| Braden Schneider, D | New York Rangers | 95% | 8.5 |
| Jake Middleton, D | Minnesota Wild | 67% | 8.5 |
| Brett Pesce, D | New Jersey Devils | 97% | 8.4 |
| Auston Matthews, C | Toronto Maple Leafs | 0% | 8.4 |
| Simon Edvinsson, D | Detroit Red Wings | 37% | 8.2 |
| Joel Hanley, D | Calgary Flames | 100% | 8.2 |
| Thomas Harley, D | Dallas Stars | 6% | 8.2 |
| Victor Hedman, D | Tampa Bay Lightning | 1% | 7.9 |
| Nick Seeler, D | Philadelphia Flyers | 96% | 7.9 |
| Charlie McAvoy, D | Boston Bruins | 5% | 7.8 |
| Alexandre Carrier, D | Montreal Canadiens | 99% | 7.7 |
| Mikhail Sergachev, D | Utah Mammoth | 5% | 7.7 |
| Travis Sanheim, D | Philadelphia Flyers | 40% | 7.7 |
| Adam Fox, D | New York Rangers | 1% | 7.5 |
| Alexander Romanov, D | New York Islanders | 71% | 7.5 |
| Ryan Lindgren, D | Seattle Kraken | 100% | 7.5 |
| Dylan DeMelo, D | Winnipeg Jets | 91% | 7.5 |
| Mattias Ekholm, D | Edmonton Oilers | 46% | 7.4 |
| Radko Gudas, D | Anaheim Ducks | 76% | 7.4 |
| Jacob Trouba, D | Anaheim Ducks | 40% | 7.3 |
Why 31? Because omitting Jacob Trouba, this generation`s superstar for FPHBS, felt wrong. Trouba has consistently been among the league leaders in this category for several seasons. Auston Matthews stands out as the sole forward on a list dominated by blueliners, showcasing his renewed defensive commitment. One of the league`s premier snipers has already blocked 16 shots through six games. If the Maple Leafs’ power play begins converting soon, Matthews could rapidly become the leader in overall fantasy points.
What is most striking about this list is the number of players who possess minimal offensive upside, yet still maintain steady fantasy value week after week. Peeke (second in blocked shots) and Zadorov (second in hits) are not even defensive partners for the Bruins, but both benefit significantly from their team`s early-season physical identity.
Naturally, the true fantasy advantage emerges when a player successfully combines high physical statistics with offensive contributions. Shea Theodore fits this description perfectly. While Vegas utilized a five-forward power play initially, Mark Stone`s multi-week absence means Theodore will reassume the quarterback role. This offers valuable offensive upside on top of the solid foundation provided by his high block totals—the exact combination that turns useful depth into a genuine difference-maker.
Mikhail Sergachev is another such player; despite currently having zero points, his physical stats provide a strong base. Given his role as the Mammoth`s top offensive option on the blue line, we can expect him to start scoring eventually.
Goalie Notes
Here is this week`s goaltending summary, detailing crease shares, fantasy production, and relevant insights.
Buffalo Sabres in six games (four last week):
- Alex Lyon (Crease share season/week: 100.0%/100.0%, Fantasy points season/week: 17.6/16.2, 84.4% available)
Lyon has been earning positive points even against tough opponents like the Avalanche and by shutting out the defending champions. With no clear timeline for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen`s return, Lyon offers medium-term appeal, especially since the Sabres` offense has picked up.
Columbus Blue Jackets in five games (three last week):
- Jet Greaves (Crease share season/week: 59.8%/66.8%, Fantasy points season/week: 7.4/5.4, 91.2% available)
- Elvis Merzlikins (Crease share season/week: 40.2%/33.2%, Fantasy points season/week: 6.0/0.4, 73.1% available)
Keep Greaves on your watch list. The split is already approaching 50-50, which is enough to make Greaves roster-worthy based on how he performed late last season.
Chicago Blackhawks in seven games (four last week):
- Spencer Knight (Crease share season/week: 71.6%/75.8%, Fantasy points season/week: 18.8/19.0, 70.8% available)
- Arvid Soderblom (Crease share season/week: 28.4%/24.2%, Fantasy points season/week: 1.4/2.6, 99.7% available)
Knight is facing a high volume of shots and is performing well enough to earn positive fantasy points even when the Blackhawks lose. He is shaping up to be a viable third goalie option in leagues with daily lineups, provided managers bench him for the most difficult matchups.
Detroit Red Wings in six games (four last week):
- Cam Talbot (Crease share season/week: 55.7%/49.2%, Fantasy points season/week: 16.4/13.6, 63.8% available)
- John Gibson (Crease share season/week: 44.3%/50.8%, Fantasy points season/week: 3.0/11.4, 77.5% available)
Los Angeles Kings in six games (three last week):
- Anton Forsberg (Crease share season/week: 50.8%/65.6%, Fantasy points season/week: -1.4/-1.4, 98.4% available)
- Darcy Kuemper (Crease share season/week: 49.2%/34.4%, Fantasy points season/week: -5.8/-0.4, 19.5% available)
Kuemper`s absence is not expected to be lengthy, but it could stretch for another week while the Kings are on the road.
Montreal Canadiens in seven games (four last week):
- Sam Montembeault (Crease share season/week: 56.6%/49.4%, Fantasy points season/week: -2.4/-4.8, 26.1% available)
- Jakub Dobes (Crease share season/week: 43.4%/50.6%, Fantasy points season/week: 17.4/9.4, 84.9% available)
New Jersey Devils in five games (four last week):
- Jake Allen (Crease share season/week: 53.5%/88.9%, Fantasy points season/week: 12.2/12.2, 87.8% available)
- Jacob Markstrom (Crease share season/week: 46.5%/11.1%, Fantasy points season/week: -0.2/3.6, 42.7% available)
Allen takes over the crease for at least the next two weeks. He is worth starting for the entire duration if your league uses locked lineups, but if you have daily flexibility, it would be wise to move him in and out to avoid high-risk matchups, such as the home-and-home series with the Avalanche.
Philadelphia Flyers in six games (four last week):
- Dan Vladar (Crease share season/week: 66.0%/75.5%, Fantasy points season/week: 16.4/14.0, 92.1% available)
- Samuel Ersson (Crease share season/week: 34.0%/24.5%, Fantasy points season/week: -6.0/-6.0, 97.1% available)
Pittsburgh Penguins in six games (three last week):
- Arturs Silovs (Crease share season/week: 50.2%/33.5%, Fantasy points season/week: 10.8/6.0, 89.4% available)
- Tristan Jarry (Crease share season/week: 49.8%/66.5%, Fantasy points season/week: 13.6/8.8, 71.1% available)
Vegas Golden Knights in seven games (six last week):
- Adin Hill (Crease share season/week: 51.1%/37.5%, Fantasy points season/week: 1.8/5.6, 10.0% available)
- Akira Schmid (Crease share season/week: 48.9%/62.5%, Fantasy points season/week: 14.0/12.0, 95.0% available)
With the Golden Knights` strong start and Hill`s injury on Monday, Schmid is a must-add. Carter Hart is unavailable to the team until December, meaning any extended absence for Hill will result in a steady stream of starts for Schmid.
Washington Capitals in six games (three last week):
- Logan Thompson (Crease share season/week: 67.0%/67.8%, Fantasy points season/week: 14.6/8.0, 9.7% available)
- Charlie Lindgren (Crease share season/week: 33.0%/32.2%, Fantasy points season/week: 10.0/-4.0, 46.7% available)
Power-play notes
Josh Doan, RW, Buffalo Sabres (available in 89.8%): The Sabres` power play finally activated this past week, featuring a somewhat unexpected combination. With Alex Tuch out, Doan and Zach Benson were slotted onto the top unit. Doan collected three power-play points as the unit collectively averaged four shots every two minutes on the advantage.
Victor Olofsson, RW, Colorado Avalanche (available in 97.8%): Olofsson may not stick long-term, but it`s important to note that the Avalanche are shuffling their power-play personnel in an attempt to pull out of their recent slump. Olofsson replaced Artturi Lehkonen on the top unit Saturday, though they still failed to score.
Trevor Moore, RW, Los Angeles Kings (available in 97.2%): With Anze Kopitar injured, the Kings remained committed to their five-forward power-play setup, moving Moore up to the top unit. This strategy means neither Drew Doughty nor Brandt Clarke are receiving the necessary ice time on the advantage, even with the team`s top forward sidelined.
Ridly Greig, C, Ottawa Senators (available in 97.8%): A fixture on the top unit since Brady Tkachuk`s injury, Greig is likely skip-worthy for now. However, if this power-play unit manages to heat up, he becomes a potential streaming option.
Dmitry Orlov, D, San Jose Sharks (available in 93.7%): John Klingberg is listed as day-to-day, but Orlov has emerged as the clear choice to quarterback the power play in his absence.
Nick Schmaltz, RW, Utah Mammoth (available in 31.6%): The Mammoth`s top power-play unit has been exceptionally consistent, offering fantasy appeal across the board. Schmaltz is the most widely available member and quietly leads the team in shots on goal.
Conor Garland, RW, Vancouver Canucks (available in 44.6%): Three players have been on the ice for all four Canucks power-play goals this season: Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, and the consistent third presence, Garland.
Shea Theodore, D, Vegas Golden Knights (available in 28.3%): As noted earlier, Theodore steps into Mark Stone`s spot on the top power-play unit while Stone recovers over the next couple of weeks.
Alex Iafallo, LW, Winnipeg Jets (available in 96.7%): With Cole Perfetti still expected to miss several weeks, now might be the time to stream Iafallo if you require power-play assistance. He has taken over Perfetti`s likely role on the top unit and has been accumulating strong statistical volume.
Droppables
Andrei Svechnikov, LW, Carolina Hurricanes (rostered in 62.4%): Svechnikov has been relegated to essentially the fourth line in some games and is not receiving time on the top power-play unit. Given that his past fantasy value was heavily volume-driven, the lack of volume makes him a poor roster choice currently.
Brandt Clarke, D, Los Angeles Kings (rostered in 57.6%): As discussed in the power-play notes, the Kings are strictly committed to running a five-forward advantage. This eliminates Clarke`s opportunity to compete with Doughty for top unit looks, meaning neither defenseman will be featured there.
